The Essence of Friendship
by lindybelle
Summary: Post-breakup. Serena's tired of being depressed over Darien. So she decides it's time for a change. AU
1. The Phone Call

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except for my cat and that tube of tennis balls on my desk. I promise.

If you need to know anything about me, check my profile. I'm updating it as you read this. Maybe.

**The Essence of Friendship: Chapter 1**

**The Phone Call **

Serena jerked awake from her fitful slumber. The rain was currently pouring out in buckets. The room was lit up suddenly by a flash of lightening. Serena covered her ears and screwed up her eyes in anticipation of the impending thunder. CRASH! Serena winced. _I hate thunder storms_, she thought. _They're so terrifying._ She crawled from her bed and made her way to the en suite bathroom.

Serena stood in front of the mirror with her eyes closed. She took a deep breath and sighed deeply. Slowly she opened her eyes. What she saw disappointed her. Her skin was unhealthily pale, her hair, brittle and dry, also having lost its former sheen. Her nails were broken and fragile and her body looked malnourished. She stared at her eyes in the mirror. Formerly vibrant and sparkling, they had become dull and empty.

Serena lowered her head. _How have things gotten so bad?_ she asked herself. She already knew the answer, of course. Darien. Ever since he had broken up with her...she screwed up her eyes to block the memory from resurfacing. Yes, admittedly she had been on a steady decline before that, but it was at a snail's pace. Ever since that fateful day, her slow decline had snowballed out of control. She wondered if anyone else had noticed. Mina had; Serena knew that much. Mina always knew when something was wrong. But the others? They had no clue.

She felt a sudden surge of anger toward Darien. _How dare he do this to me? He had no right! How could he? _she thought angrily._ I thought I was stronger than this. Yet he managed to knock me down and break my heart without breaking a sweat. Bastard. _She sighed. _Audrey would be so disappointed in me._

Her head snapped up. Audrey... If anyone could help her out of this rut, it was Audrey. Serena scrambled back to her room. After a bit of digging she found her cell phone that hadn't been used in two years. She hoped that they didn't hate her. After all, it had been nearly three years since she had spoken to any of them. She hadn't meant to do that but it had just hurt so much to think about her life before her move to Japan.

Up until the age of twelve, she and all of her family and friends had lived in Europe. She had been raised mostly in the U.K. and some in France. Though, the family often vacationed in Spain and Italy. Back then she had been Emily Binx. She changed her name shortly after settling into Japan. That name and that person were special and she intended to keep it that way. Emily, herself, as well as her near-identical twin, Jessica, was born in Limoges, France. Jessica, as she often liked to point out, was 2 minutes and 51 seconds older than Emily. Her immediate family tree was also slightly larger than just Sammy.

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Her family consisted as thus: 1) Their parents, who were currently vacationing in Naples (her "parents" here were actually just her god-parents), were Dr. Jerome and Mrs. Marie Binx. Her father was a very respected and renowned medical doctor. He was on the medical board and was often requested to speak at seminars. Her mother, Marie had been a very important executive for various high-end department stores. But soon after giving birth to the twins, she realized that, as much as the fashion world needed her, her family needed her more. Ever since then, she was known for giving some of the best parties (and for having great taste) in Western Europe.

2) Her oldest brother, Reed, who was 5 years her senior, was currently pre-law at Oxford. With his dark brown hair, blue eyes that were the Binx' trademark, and well-built, 6'2" body, he was, needless to say, very sought after. 3) Her second oldest brother, Mark, was 2 ½ years older. Mark's brown shaggy hair, trademark eyes and 6 ft. frame helped make him one of the most popular boys at his school. 4) Jessica, obviously, looked very similar to Emily. They shared the same Binx-blue eyes, long golden locks (although Jess' was cut to her rib cage and styled), and slender, 5' 4" frame.

5) Sammy, 2 years younger, had sandy brown hair, the family eyes and had recently moved back the England. 6) Katey, perhaps her favorite younger sibling, had just turned 11. She had the blue eyes and fair skin that marked the Binx family, but instead of golden-blonde hair, she had beautiful strawberry-blonde hair that went just past her shoulder blades. 7&8) Derek (4yrs) and Sara (3yrs). They were the newest additions to the family. They had the same eyes and white blonde hair that all the others had started out with, even Kat. Emily had left just after Sara's 1st birthday. She wondered if Sara would even remember her.

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Serena's heart pounded as the phone rang in her ear. _Please pick up, Dree. Please._ she silently begged.

Her breath caught in her throat as she heard the other end being picked up. The noise in the background was heard before the person's voice. Serena could hear loud talking and laughter. Someone shouted something out in French. The sweet British voice in her ear shouted back, laughing, " Shut UP, Grace. I'm on the phone." The laughter in the back increased.

"Alo?" the voice said.

"Audrey?" Serena whispered. She sobbed lightly.

"Oh my gosh. Emmy?" Audrey breathed. "Is it really you?"

"Aud, I really need to talk to you," Serena said softly as she began to cry.

"Ok, sweetie. Just gimme a sec to get alone. Hold on," Audrey whispered. Her voice got louder to talk to the others. "Hey, you guys. I gotta take this. I'll be upstairs."

"Ok, mate, but if you miss all the fun, don't come cryin' to me," someone, whom Serena suspected to be Jamie, called out.

"Trust me, it won't be anything I haven't seen before," Audrey called back.

Someone gasped dramatically. "How rude!" the same person, Serena thought this sounded like Beth, said in mock seriousness and everyone started laughing. She heard Audrey climbing the stairs, then the sound of a door closing.

"Ok, girlie, what's up? There's something wrong," Audrey said.

"Noth--" Serena started to say.

"Don't even TRY to tell me something's not wrong. I know there is. It's 2 a.m. where you are and you call me in tears. Besides, I can hear it in your voice. You're exhausted and it's not from anything out of the norm for you. Plus that, Mina and I have been talking and she's really worried about you. Don't you get it, Em? She cares. I care. WE CARE. So, please, tell me. What is UP?" Audrey asked, the worry evident in her voice, and, suddenly, it all came out. Everything. How she had stopped caring about school, how much she missed her family and and her friends in the U.K., how much stress she was under, and most of all, how much pain she was in from her break-up with Darien.

3 hours, 8 boxes of Kleenex, a couple of breakdowns, and a tub of ice cream on both sides later, Serena finally had it all out. And it felt good. So good. Audrey was the absolute best person to go to if you had a problem. She was a great listener and always gave her honest opinion.

"Dree, what do I do?" Serena asked.

"Honey, you're sunk in deep. Way deep. I know it's not just the product of this one jackass, that there are other variables to it, but mostly, it's this jackass," Audrey said frankly. " If he says he doesn't love you, you've gotta take it as the truth. I know you're stuck on him and it's going to take a while to totally get past all of this. I think it's for the best if you were to get away for a while. Everyone here misses you and your parents really want you back with us. I'm going to talk to some people and see what I can do, but no matter what, I'll be in Tokyo in a week. Ok?"

"Ok," Serena breathed in relief. "I can't wait to see you. I miss you so much."

"I miss you, too, Em. A lot," Audrey replied. "In the mean time, distract yourself. Spend some bonding time with Mina. Let her take care of you. She's your cousin."

"Yeah," Serena said. " Yeah, Audrey, you're right. I'm tired of being brokenhearted over a guy that doesn't even love me. And you know what? I'm not even sure that I loved him either."

"Ha Ha, good for you, Ems," Audrey laughed. Serena could hear voices in the background again. She heard Audrey's door open. "Audrey De Luca, who the hell have you been talking to for 3 hours?" a guy's voice asked loudly.

"Fuck off, Scott, it's none of you're business. And get out of my room," Audrey said.

"Ouch, Audrey, you cut me to the quick," Scott joked. "Is that anyway to talk to the love of your life?"

"I don't know, Scott, why don't you ask me when you find him, eh?" Audrey said with fake sweetness.

"Why I oughta—come 'ere," Scott said. Serena heard Audrey scream.

"Scott! Scott, stop that tickles! Scott!" Audrey laughed. Her laughter was suddenly muffled. A few moments later she spoke again. "Scott! LEAVE! I'm on the phone!"

"Lies! You can't be on the phone 'cause you were just kissing me. Ha HA!" Scott said in triumph. There was a pause.

"That's beside the point," Audrey said. Serena had, at this point, doubled over in silent laughter. "I'll come get you when we're done but for now, OUT."

"Anything for the lady," Scott said before the door was closed.

"Sorry 'bout him. Rotten timing skills,"Audrey explained.

"It's fine. So...you and Scott. How long has that been going on?" Serena asked slyly. "You made out with him yet?"

"3 months and yes," Audrey answered. "Any other questions?"

"Did he tell you his real name?" Serena asked. Scott's name wasn't actually 'Scott'. No one knew what it actually was. They thought his own parents didn't even remember. He just told everyone to call him 'Scott'. It had worked well so far.

"Yes, but I'm not telling you."

"Not even if I gave you the puppy dog eyes?"

"Save it. Jess already tried that," Audrey said flatly.

"Got it," Serena said. She glanced at the clock. "Wow. Ok, it's almost six which means I almost gotta go to school and learn...whatever it is that you learn in school."

Audrey laughed. "Ok, mate. Hang out with Mina this afternoon. And if you need homework help, give one of us a call. The cell numbers are still the same."

"Ok. Will do. See you soon."

"Later, babe," Audrey said and hung up.

Serena sighed and looked round her room. Everything was pink and fluffy and bunny-y. She made a mental note to redecorate. She got up and made her way to the shower. As she passed the mirror, she glanced at her reflection. Serena looked better than she had just hours before. She dug around in her drawer for something and place it on the counter. She undid her meatballs. Her hair now flowed to her ankles. She grabbed all of her hair in one hand and the scissors in the other. _Time for a change_, she thought. She picked a length and cut. The cut hair fell to the floor. She felt so much lighter now.

Serena looked in the mirror. Her hair now went to the middle of her back. She smiled. She dug out her Paul Mitchell shampoo and conditioner from the back of the cabinet as she waited for the shower water to warm up. She stepped into the shower and under the hot water. As she washed her hair and body, she was washing away much more than dirt and dead skin cells. She was washing away the past two years. Finally.

**Please REVIEW!** Constructive criticism is appreciated. Mean criticism will be considered rude. Please let me know what you think. You know you can. Please don't make me beg.


	2. Confrontations

Disclaimer: I own not Sailor Moon. I own only the plot, my characters, and my fish.

**The Essence of Friendship: Chapter 2**

**Confrontations**

Serena quietly crept down the stairs and into the kitchen. It was still early and her family wasn't awake yet. She didn't want them to see her until Audrey had gotten a chance to speak with them. Serena hurriedly packed her lunch and slipped silently out the door.

The air was crisp, a sure sign the winter was staying for a while. She ambled in the general direction of the school. She was going to get there early and she actually did her homework for once. Serena hoped no one would have a heart attack. Suddenly, she stopped.

There it was. The Crown Arcade. With Darien sitting at the counter. _Well_, Serena thought, _I can do one of two things. One, I can turn round and go straight to school, which is the most logical choice. Or...I can go inside and see if he recognizes me. If he does, then I shall leave. If not, however, I shall have some fun._ With that, Serena entered the Arcade.

She slid onto a stool next to Darien who was immersed in the paper. She lightly hit the counter to get Andrew's attention. Both Andrew and Darien turned and looked at her.

"Excuse me, sir," Serena said, reprising her British accent. "Could I possibly persuade you to get me a cup of hot tea?"

Andrew laughed. "You're so polite, how could I refuse? What kind would you like?"

"Orange, please."

Serena pulled out a book and began reading while she sipped her tea. Shortly afterwards Serena felt someone watching her. She turned to find Darien looking at her, confused.

"May I help you?" her voice was clipped. "I do not appreciate being stared at by strange, potentially dangerous men."

"Do I know you?" Darien asked.

"I doubt it," Serena said. She rested her chin on her hand and looked at him. "Someone wise once told me that one can never truly know another person."

"Do you believe that?"

"Yes, I do."

"Well I, uh, I'm sorry I interrupted you."

"As well you should be." Serena returned to her book. A few moments passed. "Your apology is accepted, by the way."

Serena saw Darien smile out of the corner of her eye. "What book are you reading?"

"_Poetics and Rhetoric_."

"Wow. Aristotle. Aren't you a bit young to be reading something that heavy?" That ticked Serena off.

"Forgive my _youthful_ ignorance, but have you actually any clue as to my age? No, you haven't, have you? The only ways you could know are if I told you, which I haven't, if someone else told you, which no one has, or if you're a forensic anthropologist, which I strongly suspect you are not. Therefore, I advise that you not make assumptions based on nothing."

"How do you know I'm not a forensic anthropologist?" Darien asked, irritably.

"Well, are you?"

"No."

"_That's_ how," Serena said as she shoved her book back into her bag.

"Who ARE you, anyways," Darien asked, clearly very annoyed.

"I can't tell you that. But what I can tell you is that I've got to leave," she said as she payed for her tea.

"Why are you leaving?"

"Because if I don't leave now then I'll be late,"

"Late for what?"

"A very important date," she said cheekily. She nodded to Darien. "Goodbye, Ignorant Man." She called to Andrew. "Goodbye, nice man with the very delicious tea."

"Bye," Andrew called back. Serena swept past Darien and out the door.

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Even with the detour to the Arcade, Serena still managed to beat everyone else to school. She opened the door to her homeroom class to find Ms. H fast asleep on her desk, surrounded by papers. Serena put her bag on one of the student desks and quietly approached Ms. H. She gently should her teacher's shoulder to wake her. Ms. H stirred slightly.

"No...no...no more weasels in the pudding. There are enough already..." Ms. H mumbled in her sleep.

"Ms. H wake up," Serena said shaking her more.

"Huh?" Ms. H lifted her head, clearly not recognizing her.

"Ms. H, it's me. Serena?"

"Oh, Serena. Of course it's you," Ms. H nodded sleepily. Suddenly she jerked upwards. "Serena? What are you doing here? Oh no, oh no! What time is it?"

"It'll be an hour until anyone else gets here," Serena said, slightly taken aback. "Are you alright, Ms. H?"

"No, I'm not ALRIGHT!" Ms. H exclaimed frantically. "I was supposed to have these graded YESTERDAY! I'll never be finished in time!"

"Ms. H, calm down. Don't you have a rubric for these?" Serena said slowly.

"Y-yes," Ms. H said.

"Ok, then, here's what we're going to do," Serena said while she pulled Ms. H away from the desk. "You're gonna go home, take a quick shower, change, eat, and get some coffee. Scratch that. Get a lot of coffee. You're gonna do all that while I stay here and grade the rest of these papers to the best of my ability."

"But--"

"Ms. H, you need to take a break. It'll be fine," Serena said as she shoved Ms. H out the door.

Serena sighed and turned to face the pile of papers. _This'll be interesting._

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Close to an hour later Ms. H opened the door to her classroom. She was surprised at what she saw. All of the papers had been graded and her desk had been organized.

Serena looked up from her book when she heard the door open. "Hi, Ms. H. I graded all the papers except for mine."

"Thank you, Serena," Ms. H replied, still slightly shocked. "I think I'll grade yours right now."

Serena gave a small smile and returned to her book. Ten minutes later, Ms. H spoke.

"Serena..." Ms. H said. "You don't belong in this class."

Serena furrowed her brow. "I don't understand."

"This is the most insightful and well written student paper I've ever read," she explained. "Not even Amy has managed this yet. I'm having you moved to a more challenging class."

Serena nodded as she left the room.

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Serena's day had been...different. She had spent her entire day in the library testing and reading. Ms. H wanted to re-evaluate Serena's academic talent over the coming days. The only class Serena had gone to had been AP Literature with Mr. Rustov. It was a senior class and they had just started reading Dante Alighieri's _The Divine Comedy_, which Serena already liked. She had eaten lunch in the library and hadn't seen any of her friends yet.

Serena looked at the clock. _Mina should be out of school by now._ She dug around for her cell phone.

"Hey Minnie...Can you meet me at the Star Salon and Spa?...40 minutes...Cool...Oh, and can you not mention this to the girls?...Thanks, see you then...Bye."

She gathered her materials and departed from the library. While she was walking, she passed by a new boutique. Serena looked down at her uniform and then back at the shop. _Yeah, I'm going in._

The name of the boutique was Smak Parlour and the outside of the store was pink. The clothes were really cute; some of the clothes were pink but the majority were not. With the assist of the owners, Abby and Katie, Serena was done in 10 minutes. Serena walked out of the store wearing 3 ½ in. red heels, gold bangles, and a white mini dress that reached just below mid-thigh. The dress was made out of a T-shirt-like material, with cap-sleeves and an obvious hem about 4 in. wide. Over her dress she wore a warm grey, woolen peacoat. She had also bought a new bag that she fit her other bag and her uniform into. She put on her Chanel sunglasses and made her way to the Arcade.

Of course Darien was there at the counter. Again. _What, does he LIVE here or something?_ _Geez_.

"Hello, lovely man with the good tea," Serena called as she walked in, once again picking up her British accent. She took the stool next to Darien. "Oh, look. You're still here. Haven't you got a life?"

"Yes, I have, actually, not that it's any of your business," Darien growled. "And who said that you could comment on my life?"

"No one. It amuses me," she said while reading the menu. She inwardly smiled. _This is way too easy._

"Hey, Britain," Andrew said to Serena. "What can I get ya?"

"More hot tea, please. Peppermint's good, thanks."

"Sure thing," Andrew said. "Hey, Dare, where's Rini?"

"Who's Rini?" Serena cut in.

"Little girl," Darien answered shortly.

"Ah. Daughter? Sister? Niece? Any of those close?"

"Nope. None."

"Relative of any kind?"

"Uh uh."

"Huh. So you guys hang out, yeah?"

"Yup."

"Where?"

"The park. My apartment. Just around."

"Alone?"

"Mostly, yeah?"

"And how old is she?"

"About eight. Why?"

"So let me get this straight," Serena turned to face him fully. "You, a legal adult, frequently spent time alone with an eight-year-old girl, who is in no way related to you, alone in your apartment, unsupervised. That is really creepy."

"Well when you say it like that--" Serena cut him off.

"What are you talking about?" Serena was having an immeasurable amount of fun screwing with him. "Any way you spin it, you come off looking like a pedophile."

"Look--" Darien was cut off again.

"Darien!" something small and brat-like squealed in the most annoying way possible. "Buy me some ice me some ice cream. Now."

After hearing this, Serena quickly burst out in laughter. "Oh my God. Oh. MyGod."

"What?!" Darien half-shouted.

"The little bugger said 10 words and I already know that she's the most ridiculous, egotistical, annoying, spoiled little brat in creation. I almost feel sorry for you."

"Hey, Lady, that's not fair," Rini said from below. Serena looked down at her.

"Learn this now. Life's not fair. Buh-bye," She said. _Two birds with one stone_, she thought. _Today is a good day._

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Star Salon and Spa

No sooner had Serena walked in the doors then she was attacked (with a hug) by Mina.

"Hey. Minnie." Serena choked out. "Can't. Breathe."

"Sorry. Oh my gosh, I was so worried," Mina gushed. "You were so sad and then Amy and Lita said you weren't in school today. What's going ON?"

"I'll tell you about it inside."

"Ok. You look a lot better by the way."

"I feel a lot better."

Mina gave her a genuine smile. "I'm glad. Hey, what are we doing here anyway."

"Oh, you know, everything. Mud baths, massages, hair treatments, mani-pedis..."

"Great. I'm in."

**Hey guys! Review! P.S.** Smak Parlour is and actually boutique in Philadelphia. It's on Market Street and it's the only pink store on the block, you can't miss it. If you're ever in Philly, check it out. you can look it up online, too.


	3. Of Friends and ExLovers

Disclaimer: Nothing do I own. How sad is that?...

**The Essence of Friendship: Chapter 3**

**Of Friends and Ex-Lovers**

"Hmmm..." Serena sighed contentedly.

"Ok. Now I'm going to leave you for a little while," the soothing voice of her massage therapist said. "Just relax."

Serena did just that. She and Mina had already had their hair treatments and mud bath, which were all very nice. But the massage was her favorite part. She had opted for a combo hot stones/aromatherapy massage. She sighed again, feeling the warmth of the hot stones on her back and legs. She breathed in the soothing scent of vanilla, took a deep, cleansing breath, and closed her eyes.

She awoke some 30 minutes later at the sound of Mina's voice.

"Wow," Mina said. "She relaxed you into a coma. She's good."

"Hmm, you have no idea how true that statement is," Serena said as she changed back into her clothes.

"Come on, let's go." Mina linked her arm with Serena's. "I already paid."

"Aw, Minnie, you didn't have to do that."

"Eh, you can pay me back with dinner," Mina said.

"Sure, where?"

"How about..._Le Poisson Rouge_?" Mina grinned.

"Oooh, fancy. Glad it's not my money I'm spending." The two laughed.

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_Le Poisson Rouge _was one of the fanciest, and most expensive, restaurants in Tokyo. Therefore, the girls just _had_ to make a quick detour to the mall.

"Hey, what do you think of this one?" Mina called over the top of the fitting room. She came out wearing a satin, copper colored dress with V'd shoulder straps that fell just above the knee, and a square of decorative beading at the point of the straps. Mina twirled around and struck a pose.

Serena clapped. "_Merveilleux_!" (trans.--marvelous)

Mina laughed. "I'm definitely getting this one. How 'bout you? Any luck yet?"

"No, not yet. But I've still got a couple to try on."

"Ok. I'm gonna go find shoes. Call me if you find a dress."

"'Kay."

Mina ambled through the shoe department, browsing. She backtracked. _No. Effing. Way._ She jumped behind a pillar, frantically searching for her cell and dialed a number.

"You will never guess what I just saw," Mina whispered.

There was a dramatic gasp on the other end. "You saw a woman giving birth to a pterodactyl?!"

"What? No!"

"Well, anything after that is gonna be kind of a let down."

"Audrey! This is not the time for jokes!" Mina whisper-shouted.

"OK! Ok. What's this uber-important thing that's going on?"

"I just saw Darien--"

"The cape-wearing jackass?" Audrey interrupted.

"Yes."

"Go on."

"And Raye--"

"The fire-obsessed bitch?"

"Yes. Can I finish my story now?"

"Proceed."

"They're here at the mall together." Mina finished.

Audrey was silent. "Huh. And I should care because..."

"They're _together_ together." Mina stated. "And they're," Mina shuddered. "_cuddling_."

"Gross!" Audrey said. "PDA!"

"Eeeew. They're kissing." Mina shook her head to erase the picture. It didn't work. "Oh, gross!"

"What?!" Audrey said very loudly.

"I think I just saw him put his tongue in her mouth," Mina whispered.

"Sick!" Audrey gagged. "VPDA!"

"VPDA?" Mina asked.

"_Very_ Public Display of Affection," Audrey said with disgust.

"Oh, I gotcha."

"Wait a minute..." Audrey gasped. "Oh my God, Emily! They _just_ broke up."

Mina nodded enthusiastically. "Ya-huh!"

"Whoa...who's gonna tell her?"

"Whoa hold up. We have to _tell her_?" Mina gasped.

"Well, yeah," Audrey said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"_Why?!_"

"Because she's our friend and it's the right thing to do."

"Exactly. It's the _right_ thing to do, but the _smart_ thing to do would be to keep our big mouths shut."

"Mina! We have to tell her."

"Do you know what she's gonna do when we tell her?" Mina was whisper-shouting again. "She's gonna scream, a-and throw things. Probably hard and breakable things. And probably at us!"

"And if she finds out about them, and she'll find out, and if she finds out that we knew and we didn't tell her, what's she gonna do then?" Audrey said rationally. "Mt. Emily will erupt forty times worse. She'll kill us!" She paused. "Well, mostly she'll kill you because I wanted to tell her in the first place. So either way you're in the red zone."

Mina groaned. "Fine. But I'm not doing it alone."

"Deal. Hey, I gotta go. Major paper I've got to finish," Audrey said.

"When's it due?"

"Three weeks."

"Freakin' over-achiever," Mina mumbled.

"What was that, Minnie?" Audrey said suspiciously.

"Nothing!" Mina said too quickly.

"Yeah, right. Anyway, bye." Audrey hung up.

Mina let out a breath and slumped against the pillar.

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A very loud-and very irksome- sound shattered the silence of slumber. Serena was lying face down in her pillow, covers up to her waist, dead asleep. Her head jolted up at the sound of the ringing phone. She quickly grabbed it from its cradle and rolled over onto her back.

"Hello?" she answered, her voice thick with sleep.

"Serena?" said an overly perky voice. "Oh good. I thought you wouldn't pick up."

"Ms. H, why are you calling me?" Serena grabbed her clock. "It's 2 in the morning."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, but I had a really great date tonight and I was just about to go to sleep, but then..."

Serena let out a deep sigh. She mumbled, "Ms. H, you're rambling."

"Oh, you're right, I am," Ms. H giggled. _Giggled_. "Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that you aren't supposed to come to school the rest of this week and next week. We have to figure out your schedule and everything."

"Um, okay?" Serena said. "Is that it, Ms. H?"

"Oh, yes. Well, bye." Serena hung up. She smiled slightly at the thought of what Audrey's reaction would've been had she been in Serena's position. She sighed and looked round her bedroom. Then, she cringed. _Number one on the to-do list: Fix Freaky-Pink-Bunny Room._

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The second time she was jolted awake by something loud and obnoxious, it was by her alarm clock. Serena groaned and started beating it, trying to shut it up. Finally, it woke her up enough to where she was able to locate the thing and throw it against the wall. Where it continued to ring. Serena dragged her self out of bed and turned it off the proper way.

"Damn, demon-possessed thing," Serena mumbled as she staggered down the stairs and into the kitchen. "I'm taking it to be exorcised."

She felt a buzzing on her leg and pulled her cell phone out of her pajama pants pocket.

"Hey." She began to rummage through the cupboards looking for something to eat.

"Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey," said a chipper voice in England.

"Liar. There's no eggs _or_ bacon. There's nothing. I'll have to _make_ something."

"Oh, God forbid," Luna said. Luna was one of her favorite cousins. Luna's dad was Daniel Binx, Serena's father's brother. Luna had long, wavy, dirty-blonde hair and big, blue-grey eyes. She was 5' 6", slender, and the same age and year as Serena and Jessy.

"What are you doing up so late anyway?" Serena used her hip to close a drawer and her butt to close the fridge. She poured some panake mix and water into a bowl and started mixing.

"Eh, it's only 11. Besides I've got to finish this article for the paper."

"Oooh, journalism. How funderful." Serena poured some mix on a frying pan and sat on the counter sipping cran-raspberry juice.

"Oh, how very clever of you, Miss Galinda," Luna said with sarcasm. Serena heard typing and something being printed. "But seriously, you're awake, right?"

"Yup, yup," Serena said, flipping some pancakes onto her plate and turning off the stove. "I'm making pancakes."

"Ooh, yummy. I gotta go get some Zs so Audrey doesn't kick my ass for forgetting my article here."

"Later, mate."

"Later, babe."

Serena finished her pancakes and sat back. _What to do..._ The god-'rents were out of town and the runt was at Amy's. An imaginary lightbulb clicked on above her head. Her face broke into an evil grin. She raced upstairs and into her bedroom.

Forty minutes later Serena was standing in front of her mirror. She really liked her new haircut. The stylist had cut about and inch off the end and given her long layers throughout with side-swept fringe. She'd also gotten an enzyme treatment which had gotten all of the gunk out of her hair and made it blonder. She focused her attention on her outfit.

She was wearing knee-high grey suede boots over drainpipe jeans and a green long-sleeved mini-dress. Once satisfied with her appearance, she slung on her grey woolen coat and shoved a white crocheted hat on her head. Serena grabbed her metallic gold tote and locked the door.

It was freezing outside and Serena had to shove her hands in her pockets to keep them warm. Thankfully, the Arcade wasn't too far away. She stepped inside and was instantly warmed. She slid into a stool at the counter and took out her book.

"What's today's book?" the man next to her asked.

"_Don Quixote_," Serena replied without looking up. "What do you want?"

"What can't a person make polite conversation," Darien asked.

"A person can, yes," Serena said, finally looking at him. "It's _you_ that can't."

Andrew came over to take Serena's order, smiling. "Hey, Miss Brit. What can I get ya?"

"Hot blueberry tea, please."

"Coming right up."

"Is that your name? Britain?" Darien asked curiously.

"Nope." Serena returned to her book.

"Then why does he call you that?"

"Because I'm from the U.K., dipstick," Serena said as she tasted her tea. _Hmmm...__délicieux. _(trans.--delicious). "Surely even you could've figured that one out."

"Why are you so rude to me?"

"Because I don't like you."

Darien gaped at her. He said exasperatedly, "Why not?!"

"I dislike strange men who talk to me without my consent," Serena replied simply.

Darien opened and close his mouth repeatedly. He looked not unlike a fish. Serena raised an eyebrow at him. "Cat got your tongue?"

"Shouldn't you be in school?" Darien asked defensively.

"No. But honestly, what is it with you and questions, huh?" Serena asked.

"I-I...Well, I...I dunno," Darien stuttered.

Serena studied him. "Hm. Well anyway, I'm out. Lots to do with little time." And she was out the door.

Darien stared after her. Who _was_ that? She seemed so familiar...

**Review! **Sorry this took so long, guys. Work's been nuts 'cause we're right smack in the middle of our anniversary sale. Anyway, 10 points in Heaven if you can find the alliteration, the hidden pop culture reference or can guess where I work (hint: the sale. check the sale). And something special if you can get all three.


	4. It All Comes Out

Disclaimer: I have no money. And, until I get money, I can't buy Sailor Moon. And if I do get the money, I will spend it on shoes. Lots and lots of pretty, pretty shoes.

**The Essence of Friendship: Chapter 4**

**It All Comes Out**

"Damn."

"You said it, sister."

"I can't believe she graduated," Serena said.

"I can't believe we missed it," Mina replied. The two girls were sitting on Mina's rooftop, staring out at the horizon. Audrey, brilliant, resourceful, amazing Audrey, had graduated secondary school the night before. Audrey was hardly older than themselves. She was sixteen, turning 17 in the summer, right before she jetted off to which ever fabulous university she decided to attend. It was still only January, so she had a while to decide.

"Who do you think cried the most?" Mina asked Serena.

"Lisa," Serena replied almost immediately. "Or Rebecca. One of the two. Jamie probably cried a ton, too."

"It must be hard," Mina mused. "For Rebecca, I mean."

"Definitely," Serena agreed. "It's really unfair to have a twin, or any person close to you, who outshines you so much." Serena took a swig from the bottle in her hand. "Don't get me wrong, I love Reba, and she's fantastic, but..."

"Audrey is Audrey," Mina finished for her. "And comparatively..."

"Yeah," Serena said distractedly.

Audrey and Rebecca were twins, Rebecca being 15 ½ minutes older than Audrey. They were very different from each other. Rebecca was laid-back, carefree, and loud, while Audrey was a quiet, elegant, book worm. Their personalities were reflected in both their clothing styles and physical features. Rebecca had wavy, very blonde, almost beach-blonde, hair with sun kissed skin and green eyes, and stood at about 5' 5". Audrey, however, had straight, brown hair with natural golden blonde highlights, very fair skin and crystal clear blue eyes; she stood at least two inches taller than her sister. Despite their many differences, they really seemed to adore each other, and had unnecessarily shared a room until the age of twelve.

"Okay," Mina said shoving herself up. "It's late and I've got school."

"Alrighty," Serena said getting up as well. "Hope to God that I don't slip and kill myself climbing off this roof."

"See ya later, alligator." Mina hugged Serena and climbed through the window into her bedroom. Serena inched over to the edge of the roof and shimmied down the drainpipe. She oh-so-gracefully slipped on the wet grass and had to grab on to a low hanging tree branch to keep from landing on her butt. _Nice move, self._ Serena trudged back to her house.

xxxxxxxxxx

Something felt weird the next morning when Serena awoke. She sat up and realised that she had rearranged herself as she slept so that her head was at the foot of the bed. She extracted herself from the sheets and stumbled into the bathroom. She turned on the water in the bathtub and waited for it to fill up.

She sunk through the thick layer of bubbles and into the hot water. She took a deep breath. Someone was keeping something from her, she just didn't know what or how important it was. But keeping something from her, someone was. She was still reeling from that whole episode with Darien. It was still shocking her how it had happened so out of the blue. Oh, how badly she wanted to not be so deeply hurt by all of that. How deeply she wanted to _hate_ him. But she could only pretend that she did.

She didn't think he even cared that he had almost killed her inside. Strike that. She _knew_ he didn't care. All he cared about was that bratty little horror that was masquerading as her cousin. Oh, please, like anyone even remotely related to Serena would've let that brat carry on acting like she did for any length of time. Whoever that kid's parents were, they needed to give their kid a little dose of reality. A person can't always get what he or she wants. In fact it's a rarity.

Was she the only one that saw through that little spore's lies? How could everyone else be so utterly blind? The child obviously had some hidden agenda. And how could they not see that one day she didn't have a bratty cousin living her god-'rents house, and then, the next day, some little eight-year old falls out of the freaking _sky_, kisses _her_ boyfriend, and then "suddenly," bam!, she does! _Il est ridicule!_ (T: It's ridiculous!)

_They're always calling me stupid when I _pretend_ that I don't understand the stuff that they do, and they _actually_ fall for it. Every time. But the one time that I point out something and they didn't see it first, they call _me_ paranoid and insane and jealous. Jealous. I can't _believe_ they think that! _

_The _nerve_ of that little bugger. Putting herself on the same level as people like Luna and Mina, my _real_ cousins. She's nothing but a little fake who stole my friends, my former boyfriend, and my life. Well, not anymore, little girl. I was here first._

She was brought back to reality by the sound of something hitting the wall. It was a bar of soap. Serena laughed, she must've thrown it during her inner-rant. She clambered out out of the tub and pulled out the drain plug so that the water would drain as she toweled off. She pulled on a soft terry cloth robe, ran into her room , and dove onto her new bed.

After she had left the Arcade the other day, Serena had gone shopping to replace the furniture and things in the Fuzzy Bunny Room. She had done away with almost everything in the old room. All the comic books, bunny paraphernalia, stuffed animals, etc. had been put in boxes and been exiled to the attic.

She had totally redone her room in a kind of Parisian-esque style. The curtains framing her windows and the doors that led to the balcony were sheer and in a light pink color. Her bed frame was made of wrought iron and the iron was made into an oval design on the headboard. The sheets on the bed were soft blue with a tiny stripe of pink every now and then. The duvet was white with 'Paris' running down the middle in big black cursive letters. The bedside table was black as well, but it was made of wood. It was Victorian-like and had the little clawed feet at the bottom. On it, there was a black beaded lamp and a white iHome. The book cases, chest of drawers, desk, and desk chair were all in the same style as the bedside table. Real books and scrapbooks were on the book shelves, jewelry and candles littered the top of her chest of drawers.

The walls were still white, though. There was a space of empty wall across from the doors to the balcony that was about 5 feet wide. In the middle of the space was a giant wall decal of the Eiffel Tower that stretched from floor to ceiling. Eventually, Serena planned on totally covering that piece of wall with pictures of her family and friends.

Serena groped for her phone that was somewhere amidst the rumpled sheets. If Darien could screw her over at least she could screw him over back.

"Allo?"

"Hey, Audie. I need to screw over a guy. Any ideas on how?"

"Well you're terribly blunt today. What exactly were you planning on doing?"

"Well pretty much I was going to make him care about me...and then I was going to rip out his heart and give a nice cheery 'Fuck you' and never look back."

"You've been talking to Lisa way to much." Serena laughed. Audrey was silent for a moment. "Em, I'm not exactly the best person to be talking to about guys. Call Lisa. You know she'd love to practice her favorite pastime."

"Ok, will do. But I'm masquerading as a uni student, so..."

"You're a lit major. Show up at the Arcade and sit next to him. Don't say anything to him just start working on a pseudo-paper or something," Audrey supplied immediately. There, ladies and gents, is the reason she graduated grade 13 two years early. She just knew stuff. Her brain worked at super-human speed, and, although it was nearly impossible to tell, she had worked out every logical response in head before answering.

"And if he asks what the paper's about..."

"Tell him it's an analytical expository work comparing modern poetry greats to the likes of Shakespeare, Homer, etc."

"Oh, you're brilliant, Audie!" Serena squealed.

"Thanks." Serena could hear Audrey beaming through the phone. "Call Lisa. Plot your evil schemes together."

Serena laughed. "Bye."

She rolled over to look at the time. _Ok, so if it's nine-thirty here...then it's _way_ too late to be calling there._ Lisa was not a pleasant person to talk to if you interrupted her sleepy time. She had once told Serena that if Serena woke her up in the middle of the night, she'd better have a damn good reason. Like if someone were trapped in a well or on fire. Serena let out a sigh. _Now what? _Maybe she should go to the Arcade. The worst that could happen was that Darien wasn't around in order for her to put her devious plan into action.

Serena went to her closet and stared at the clothes. _What to wear..._ She pulled out an outfit and hung it on one of the hooks hanging on the closet door. It was comprised of: a purple silk blouse with white designs and puff sleeves that came just past the elbow that would be tucked into the dark, high-waisted denim pencil skirt; grey tights, black, high-heeled ankle boots and a white necklace.

She finished her light make-up and pulled her hair into a high ponytail with a poof. She shoved her cell phone and some poetry books and writing materials into her prized possession, a cream-colored leather tote bag from Marc Jacobs. She slung on her coat, tied a scarf around her neck, and pulled on a pair of gloves. As she was walking down the street, Serena realised that she hadn't seen the little spore or a few days. _Huh_. _Maybe she got lost in a parking garage... _She smiled slightly.

The breakfast/early morning rush had died down so there was really no one inside. Well, except for, you guessed it, the heartbreaker himself. _Oh how I wish I had sparklers._ Serena sat one or two stools away from Darien in order to have ample room for her 'study' materials. She could feel him staring at her but refused to speak to him first. She flipped open some of the books and started writing.

_Euripides, Virgil, Shakespeare, Poe, Longfellow. These are some of the world's greatest and most well-known poets. But what is it that separates the ancient originals from the modern rebels? How is it that we discern the old from the new? The original from the unoriginal? Shakespeare based most of his plays and some of his poetry upon myths and legends. His sonnets, however, were declarations of love and devotion for the Dark Lady, of admiration and possibly platonic love for the Fair Youth, and of a competition with the Rival Poet. If one based his or her opinions--_

"Why do you sit with your legs crossed like that?"

Serena turned her head slowly to look at him. She fixed him with her most withering stare. "_Why_ did you do that? I was on a roll. A good one, too!"

"You didn't answer my question," Darien said resolutely.

"Nor have you answered mine." Serena mumbled the next part under her breath. "You annoying little prick."

"Is it because you're wearing a skirt, because you're at the counter. No one can see it," Darien said.

"I'm sitting at the counter? Really?" Serena's voice was filled with sarcasm. "Honestly, don't you watch the news? Perverts will do anything to get what they want. Sticking hidden cameras in odd places, bringing eight-years back to their apartments unsupervised..."

"Would you stop with that already?" Darien jumped up.

"How'd you meet that kid anyway?" Serena said calmly.

"She's, um, my ex's, erm, little cousin," Darien said squirming.

"Your ex's cousin. Wow. You must see your ex a lot, then, huh?"

"Not really," Darien said quietly.

Serena tilted her head to one side, feinting interest. "Why not?"

"I kind or, um, avoid her."

"Well I wouldn't really call it avoidance. More like being a rude, inconsiderate prick half the time, and the other half ignoring my total existence."

Darien stared at her, gaping like a fish.

"Oh and just for future reference, how did I lose your attentions and affections to an eight-year-old self-centred terror?"

"Serena, I've already told you. I never--" Serena cut him off.

"Yeah, yeah, you never loved me. It was all just and act," Serena said, lowering her voice to imitate Darien. "That's a load of crap, and we both know it. The truth is, you have some sort of sick crush on and _eight_-year-old."

"Serena, I swear, I don't--"

"Not that it really matters. Once Lisa, Ginny, and the guys get here, they'll kick your ass from here to kingdom come."

"Serena, listen to me--"

"And while we're on the subject of family and friends, let's get something straight. No matter what the little bugger has told any of you, she is not, has never been, and will never be my cousin. She's a brat and she's a liar. Remember that, Darien. She's gonna cause you guys a lot of trouble. And you can call me crazy, and paranoid, and jealous all you want, 'cause I don't care. I'm done." Serena shoved all of her stuff in her bag and marched toward the door.

"Done with what?!" Darien shouted.

Serena whipped around. "This." She gestured around herself. "And this place. I'm done with you, I'm done with her, and I'm done with the scouts. You win, Darien. I'm out."

"Serena, I didn't want--"

"Save it!" Serena shouted. She continued at a normal volume. "For someone who cares." She turned on her heel and walked out. Of everything.

**Review! **Please give me feedback. I hope you liked it. I feel as though I rambled in parts...it's kind of a problem. I do it when I talk, too...


	5. Damage Control

I am SO sorry I haven't updated in so long. Uni's been a bitch lately. I had THREE papers due in the last two weeks. Also, I was ill. Then, I got better, so I got back into soccer. Now, I'm ill...again. Thanks, Margaret. So anyway, I felt really bad about the not writing thing, so I just did this...I'm not entirely sure if I like it yet, have some input please. Also, be really thankful, because I should be writing my cognitive psych paper that's due in four days, but no, I'm writing this for you all. Oh my. I think my dorm mate (lunareclipse413) is rather upset with me. Because it's round 1 a.m. and I'm keeping her up...apparently I do this a lot. Well, enjoy.

**The Essence of Friendship: Chapter 4**

**Damage Control**

"Em! You totally fucked up the plan!" Lisa cried over the phone.

"I know..." Serena flopped onto her bed and covered her face with her hand. "I _know_. But he just made me so _aggravated_..."

"He's Jackarse McGee, what'd you expect?" Luna said. Luna had just gotten back from a dance class and was taking an Epsom salt bath. She and the others were having a multi-way call.

"Yeah, I totally should've seen it coming," she replied. "But that does not stop me from having an overwhelming desire to beat him with a cricket bat."

"Lisa, for the love of all that is good, pick one language and stick with it," Audrey said in exasperation. Lisa had been, up to this point, mumbling in various foreign languages about failed plans and such.

"Well, sor-ry," Lisa said. "So what were we talking about?"

"Beating people with cricket bats," Luna supplied.

This got Lisa's attention. "Oh! May I help?"

"No one's beating anyone with anything," Audrey said.

Serena sat up quickly. "You're kidding, right? If i ever get the chance to beat up Darien--"

"Hold up," Lisa interrupted. "This Darien bloke, is he hot?"

"Unfortunately..." Serena mumbled inaudibly. Yes, he was hot. And yes, it was also very annoying. _Stupid person with his stupid looks and his stupidness..._

"I don't much care how hot Minnie says he is," Luna said. Serena could hear as the water sloshed in the tub. "He sounds like a right sod to me."

"That reminds me. Why exactly are you taking a bath full of salt?" Lisa asked.

"It reduces the risk of muscle strain," Luna said simply.

Audrey laughed. "You sound like that bloke at the market."

"Oh, my gosh! He was hilarious," Lisa said whilst laughing. "I loved his accent. Where was he from again?"

"Somewhere in India. I can't remember the name, but it was somewhere in India," Audrey replied.

"Oh, I love Indian accents," Luna said excitedly.

"I love Indian men," Audrey laughed.

"Me too," Lisa threw in.

Serena giggled. "Um, Lizzie? You love anything that looks like a man."

The girls collapsed in laughter. Lisa gasped out, "Shut it, you lot. It's not like any of you are the Virgin Mary."

"I'm sorry, but how many lads have you snogged?" Audrey asked still laughing. "Or can't you remember?"

"Umm..." came the reply.

"Exactly," Serena and Luna said in unison. This only served to make them laugh even more. It took more than a few minutes for them to sober up.

"Not to burst the Bubble of Laughter but..." Serena trailed off.

"Oh, right! Revenge..." Lisa said evilly.

"I can just picture you with that creepy little smile on your face," Audrey said. There was a strange sucking noise in the background.

"Um, that noise...what is it?" Serena asked cautiously.

"I think Luna's draining the tub," Audrey said slowly.

"Luna is a very odd child," Lisa said.

"I heard that, and just so you know, I'm sticking my tongue out at you." Lisa snorted. "Anyway, back to business. Did anyone actually see or hear your exchange with Jackarse McGee?"

Serena thought about the day before. It was mid-morning so there was really no one there. Andrew had been in the back doing something unknown. It was just her and Darien.

"No..."

"So there were no witnesses to your impromptu confession?" Luna asked.

"Um, no, why?" Serena was confused now. What did that have to do with revenge? Lisa was too right. Luna was strange.

"Ok, beyond confused now," Lisa cut it.

"Oh, I see what she's getting at," Audrey realized. "That's quite clever, Luna."

"Ok, is it a secret or something and you can't tell me, or are you just being--" Lisa was cut off by Luna.

"If you'll shut it, I'll tell you," Luna replied. "If no one else saw, then you can just pretend that it never happened. No one'll be able to back him up on it."

"It's a right good way mess with his head," Audrey added. "He'll think he's gone barmy."

"Oh, I get it," Serena said, realization finally dawning. "Act normal, convince him its all in his head, make him question his sanity, all the while laughing evilly on the inside."

"Mates, that's brill!" Lisa exclaimed.

"Oh, we know," Audrey replied mock-arrogantly.

"Ugh, mates, I gotta go. I hate maths homework," Luna said.

"Who've you got?" Lisa asked.

"Richly."

"Oh, he's the worst!" Lisa exclaimed. She paused. "I gotta book it, too. Food time. Ciao, bellas."

"Bye." Luna hung up.

"So...what now?" Serena wondered aloud.

"What now? Set our evil genius plan into action, girl," Audrey laughed.

"Oh, yeah! There's that," Serena said.

"May the Force be with you."

"Nerd!"

"Hey! Nerds rule the world. Well, no, that's not true. Really stupid people that talk loudly, so as to make their idiotic ideas sound more appealing, rule the world. But nerds _should_ rule the world."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"Ok, what with the not setting the plan into action?"

"I'm working on it."

"Oh, just a reminder, don't screw it up. Or Lisa will kill you. And I really mean that."

"Yeah, I kinda got that. Um, so, I'm gonna go so as to more ably plan and destroy people's psyches and mental statuses."

"You do that. See ya."

Serena sighed and trudged over to her closet. _What does one where when making others insane?_ She threw on some dark skinny jeans that she stuffed into a pair of black riding boots. She tossed on a silky teal colored blouse with balloon sleeves. She checked her hair and her makeup. Relatively acceptable, she decided. She grabbed her purse and put on her coat and scarf. She looked round to see it she was forgetting anything. _I'm a university student, duh!_ _Books!_ She shoved a couple in her bag and grabbed her mobile.

It was windy and overcast outside, making it even colder than it should have been. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and trekked toward the Arcade. Because the Arcade was where the food lived. As soon as she was outside the door she noted that Darien was there. She began to wonder if he actually _did_ anything but sit in there.

"Hey, Andrew," she said brightly as she blew into her hands.

"Hey, Brit, cold one out there."

Serena laughed. "Figures. The one day I forget my gloves." She plopped down on a stool. "You make chips here, Drew?"

"Sure do."

"Then I'll have a big plate of those and some water."

"Coming up."

Serena was busy digging her mobile out of her purse and didn't notice that Darien had come up behind her. "What are you doing?"

Serena jumped. "Geez. What the—why are you in my personal space?" _Creepy...get away._

"What are you playing at? Why are you still pretending, _Serena_?"

Serena frowned deeply. "What the devil are y_ou_ playing at? Have you gone barmy?"

"Serena—wait, barmy?"

_God, he's thick._ Serena raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, barmy. Off your rocker, flipped you lid? You know, crazy?"

Darien looked confused and shook his head. "Whatever. The point is, why are you still pretending, Serena?"

"First off who's Serena?"

"Don't play dumb. You know."

"I really don't." She was trying really hard not to laugh.

Darien threw up his hands in exasperation. He was getting miffed. _Now we're getting somewhere._ "What, did you think I'd forget? I'm not stupid, Serena!"

"Forget what?" Serena said, acting very confused.

"Yesterday!" He shouted. _My, my._ _We certainly are in a right state, aren't we?_

"I wasn't even here yesterday," Serena said in defense.

"Yes, you were!" Darien was now right in her face. She fixed him with her best get-out-of-my-face-now-or-I'll-brick-wall-you-into-a-small-enclosed-space glare.

"Whoa, there guys." Andrew had just reappeared with Serena's chips and had seen Darien shouting. "What's the deal?"

"He is insane," Serena said with eyes wide. She stepped back from Darien. "He keeps insisting that I was here yesterday."

"You were!" Darien said loudly.

"And he keeps calling me 'Serena'," she said. _This is way too much fun._

"You are!" He said.

She turned to him and said slowly, "No, I'm not. My name is not Serena. It never was and never will be. You must have me confused."

Darien said nothing.

"Thanks for the food, Drew. Sorry, I've got to run." With that she left.

Andrew leaned forward across the counter. "Darien," he said slowly. "What the hell was that?"

"She's lying. She is Serena. I know because she told me so yesterday."

"Are you sure you're not just missing Serena?"

"I'm not," Darien said too quickly. "I know she was in here yesterday."

"Are you sure weren't just imagining things? It happens at times."

"I'm not delusional, Andrew. She was here."

"Really? Because I don't remember seeing her."

"You were in the back or something," Darien said defensively.

"Ok..." Andrew looked skeptical, but returned to work.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Hey, Lizzie. It totally worked. Like a charm. Ring me when you get this message. Later."

**REVIEW!**....that is all...


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